Door closure panels are used in all kinds of buildings including, specifically, residential dwellings. Such panels may be of a number of types. In many applications, such as patio and deck doors, the panels are slidably mounted wherein a movable panel can be slid in a plane, parallel to the wall of the building in which it is mounted, for opening and closing. A track on which the panel can slide between opened and closed positions is provided.
Another manner in which door closure panels are mounted is one wherein the panel is hingedly mounted at one edge thereof to a side of the opening in which it is to be installed. In most residential dwellings, this type of structure is utilized for doors adjoining adjacent rooms and main entryway doors.
In most homes, the main doors affording ingress to and egress from the building are provided with a second door known as a storm door. Such doors are typically of metal construction, frequently being manufactured from aluminum. Glass panels (frequently unbreakable glass, as now required by statute in many states) are held within the metal frame in order not to obstruct the view of a person inside the house.
Storm doors serve a number of purposes. Most significantly, they serve an insulative function. During the winter, an insulative air pocket is developed between the main door closure and the storm door. While main entry doors frequently do not have particularly close tolerances relative to the frame in which they are mounted, storm doors are mounted with close tolerances in order to facilitate the development of the air pocket and to preclude drafts which might arise because of air flow outside the house or because of pressure differentials between the air inside and outside the house.
As can be seen, therefore, storm doors serve an extremely important function, particularly in geographic locations subject to severe winters. Such doors are manufactured by a number of concerns and are, typically, constructed as an integral unit for shipment to locations at which they are sold on a retail level.
By so manufacturing such doors, certain problems are presented with respect to shipment of the units for distribution and sale. As is apparent, manufacturers of storm doors are required to devise packaging for relatively large components. The protrusion of the knob for the door, however, presents problems of an even more aggravating nature. Not only does its protrusion require unique and distinctive packaging, but it also allows the possibility of damage to or breakage of the knob.
The invention of the present application provides a structure which solves the problems in the prior art. The invention of this patent application is a door assembly which minimizes the chances of damage or breakage occuring to the knob.